Aragon threw some curveballs at our Moto2 and Moto3 Aussies, but they’re still feeling positive leading into Mugello

Agius claws his way to fourth in Moto2
Senna Agius continues to build a reputation as one of the most promising young riders in Moto2 after battling from 13th on the grid to finish a strong fourth in Sunday’s race — a result that didn’t come easily for the 19-year-old.

“Not going to lie – was struggling this weekend,” Agius admitted. “The only thing I had to lean on was my pace, as qualifying didn’t go to plan.”

The Aussie opted for Pirelli’s harder front tyre compound — a decision that ultimately hampered his race-day grip. Despite this, Agius showed patience and persistence, strategically picking his way through the field.

“I really tried to stay calm and use the experience I have to do my best work on Friday to compensate on Sunday,” he explained. “I started far back and chose the hard front tyre, thinking it’d be better — it wasn’t and didn’t have the grip from the beginning. I caught [Aron] at the end and P4 was all we could’ve achieved from P13.”

Although falling just short of the podium, Agius’ back-to-back strong performances, following on from his Silverstone success, prove he’s a serious contender in the talent-stacked intermediate class.

Kelso overcomes illness for top-seven finish in Moto3
Joel Kelso didn’t have the kind of Aragon he was hoping for — battling illness, setup challenges and a circuit layout that didn’t suit his style. But the gritty Darwin native still managed to salvage a seventh-place finish, just 0.7 seconds off the win in a typically frenetic Moto3 battle.

“Overall, it wasn’t a very positive weekend,” Kelso said. “I was a bit under the weather coming into this week and then the layout didn’t work out so well for me. Everything went downhill from there.”

After qualifying eighth but dropping back to 11th early, Kelso regrouped and pushed hard through the race to stay with the leading group. Despite the struggle, the 20-year-old remains optimistic.

“It wasn’t an easy race. But if we’re finishing seventh on a bad day… We’ll move on and try and bounce back from two results that haven’t been our best. Our time will come in the next one.”

Heartbreak for Roulstone after mechanical DNF

Arguably the biggest disappointment of the weekend came for Jacob Roulstone. After equalling his best-ever Moto3 qualifying result with sixth, the Sydney teenager was riding confidently when his bike developed a terminal engine issue.

“I felt really comfortable and easily quite fast,” Roulstone said. “A little gap formed between my group and the top four. I passed [Angel] Piqueras and [David] Carpe and felt I could bridge the gap. But then I got passed again.”

The mechanical gremlins kicked in shortly after. “I started to feel an issue on the back straight, and it came again in fourth, fifth and sixth gear. Really upset. I felt nervous early on but then I was calm. Motorsport likes to kick you when you’re down!”

Despite the DNF, Roulstone is determined to take the positives and bounce back with intent. “I’ll take the positives to Mugello.”

Next up: Mugello

With the next round at Italy’s stylish and high-speed Mugello circuit looming, all three Aussie riders will look forward with renewed determination. Agius being disappointed with a top 5 result shows the type of form he’s in, Kelso will be looking for a reset with a return to full health, and Roulstone will be doubly hungry to bounce back from his unlucky Aragon exit after his taste of action near the front.